Check valves are designed to control the direction of flow of a fluid through a conduit. A typical check valve permits flow in one direction, but prohibits flow in an opposite direction. Typical check valve assemblies include a spring-loaded poppet fixed within a valve body. The poppet seals the flow of fluid against a valve seat. One significant disadvantage of many check valves is that they sometimes fail in service. Generally, if one component in the check valve assembly fails, the entire assembly must be replaced. This imposes a significant maintenance cost on such valves.